‘Anaconda’ Slithers In with a Brutal Rotten Tomatoes Score as Critics Rip It Apart
The upcoming film Anaconda is already facing a rough start with critics ahead of its release. The movie, which is a new take on the 1997 cult hit, currently holds a low score on Rotten Tomatoes. Based on 43 reviews, the film sits at 35 percent, signaling weak early reactions.
The new Anaconda is directed by Tom Gormican and co-written by Gormican and Kevin Etten. It stars well-known names like Paul Rudd and Jack Black, along with Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior, and Selton Mello. Sony Pictures plans to release the film in U.S. theaters on December 25.
The story follows four old friends who travel to the Amazon hoping to relive their younger days. They plan to shoot a low-budget remake of the original Anaconda for fun. Things quickly go wrong when they come face to face with a real giant snake. What starts as a joke turns into a fight to survive.
Experience one of the best comedies of the year.
— Anaconda Movie (@Anaconda_Movie) December 23, 2025
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Despite the strong cast and the meta idea, many critics say the movie does not live up to its potential. Reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes point to uneven comedy and weak execution. Film critic Zach Pope wrote, “Anaconda wants to be Tropic Thunder with its meta commentary on filmmaking and while it occasionally succeeds with some laughs I never found the film to actually go all out with its concepts.”
Jeremy Jahns was even more blunt, saying, “It’s the epitome of… I’m not going to remember the movie.” Mike Massie from Gone With The Twins gave the film a harsh rating and said, “It’s one of the most ineffective and dishonest horror-comedy hybrids of recent memory.”
Other critics echoed similar thoughts. Dionar Hidalgo from Algo Más Que Cine wrote that the movie knows what jokes it wants to make but never fully commits, adding that even Jack Black and Paul Rudd could not save it. Another review described the film as funny at times but lacking bite, comparing it to a snake with no backbone.
Ice Cube, who appeared in the original Anaconda, also makes a cameo as himself, but that nod to fans has not been enough to win critics over so far.
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